Comments on: Jury Duty is something many of us face.http://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face/
Comments on MetaFilter post Jury Duty is something many of us face.Sat, 01 Mar 2003 07:58:54 -0800Sat, 01 Mar 2003 07:58:54 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60Jury Duty is something many of us face.http://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/01/nyregion/01COUR.html?tntemail1">We all must do our civic duty.</a> But how many of us can fill in President of the United States on the questionnaire when it asks for former jobs held? A bit of mirth for today. NY Times req. required.post:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963Sat, 01 Mar 2003 07:47:43 -0800PlungeNYTimesNewYorkTimesBillClintonWilliamJeffersonClintonUSPresidentJuryDutyVoirDirejurycourtBy: psmealeyhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446596
The answer is 5.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446596Sat, 01 Mar 2003 07:58:54 -0800psmealeyBy: bradth27http://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446597
I'm sorry, but we all know that the real answer is 42.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446597Sat, 01 Mar 2003 08:00:32 -0800bradth27By: matteohttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446599
<i>despite his "unusual experience with the O.I.C.," </i>
I've never been a fan of the man, really. but "unusual experience" is very funny, and smartcomment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446599Sat, 01 Mar 2003 08:12:06 -0800matteoBy: PrinceValiumhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446602
<i>The answer is 5.</i>
Err, I think it wouldn't be too hard for Reagan to be disqualified for other reasons.
Nobody mentioned the smoking gun in this particular case: Clinton was ultimately responsible for getting the trial judge appointed to the bench. That's an obvious conflict of interest, and the lawyers shouldn't even have had the opportunity to discuss it.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446602Sat, 01 Mar 2003 08:31:23 -0800PrinceValiumBy: cleversharkhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446619
Kinda silly though... lawyers can't serve on juries, and Clinton is a lawyer.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446619Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:12:27 -0800cleversharkBy: Vidiothttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446622
lawyers can't serve on juries?comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446622Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:16:03 -0800VidiotBy: Plungehttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446624
Is he a current member of the New York Bar? If not, there should be nothing, besides the obvious, that prevents him from serving on a jury.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446624Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:17:46 -0800PlungeBy: psmealeyhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446626
<i>Lawyers can't serve on juries.</i>
I think this might have been the case years ago, but is definitely not true today, at least in New York City. I have had several lawyer friends (and one parent) in the past 3-4 years that have served on juries here all the way through to verdict and setencing.
I can't tell you if this varies from state to state or by federal district, perhaps someone with more familiarity than I do could shed some light on this.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446626Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:24:13 -0800psmealeyBy: boltmanhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446630
<i>Clinton was ultimately responsible for getting the trial judge appointed to the bench. That's an obvious conflict of interest</i>
How so?comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446630Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:27:13 -0800boltmanBy: NormiePhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446631
In general lawyers can serve on juries. I don't know how common it is in federal court, but I certainly remember that Giuliani, a former prosecutor and, at the time, the sitting mayor of New York, served as foreman of a civil jury.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446631Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:28:29 -0800NormiePBy: Pseudoephedrinehttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446637
I recall there was a move underway some time ago to have Clinton disbarred, though I don't recall whether it was successful or not. Are disbarred lawyers still eligible for jury duty? And if not, was Clinton disbarred?comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446637Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:46:51 -0800PseudoephedrineBy: psmealeyhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446640
Clinton wasn't disbarred, his license to practice law <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/stories/01/19/clinton.lewinsky/"><b>was suspended for 5 years</b></a></b>. In any case, I don't think that disbarment would consitute being disqualified from serving a a jury. The bar association is a professional standards body, and not part of the state or federal legal apparatus.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446640Sat, 01 Mar 2003 09:55:44 -0800psmealeyBy: wendellhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446643
Of course, the irony is, that if lawyers were barred from serving on juries, a disbarred lawyer would probably not be... um... barred. Whatever.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446643Sat, 01 Mar 2003 10:10:05 -0800wendellBy: cleversharkhttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446645
He may have been disbarred in Arkansas, but then he doesn't live there.
Guess I was wrong about the lawyers not being able to serve on juries bit... oh well.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446645Sat, 01 Mar 2003 10:13:03 -0800cleversharkBy: Frank Grimeshttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446649
"142" seemed to have a great respect for the law and has lots of experience in the courtroom. If the Bloods pay Hugh Rodham, I'm sure their guy will walk. [/sarcastic diatribe]comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446649Sat, 01 Mar 2003 10:19:55 -0800Frank GrimesBy: aeschenkarnoshttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446737
Lawyers are an <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22jury+duty%22+%22automatic+exemption%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=">'automatic exemption'</a> category for jurors in some jurisdictions, which basically means that if you're a lawyer you can have yourself excused from the jury duty. Some other categories are persons aged 65 or older, nursing mothers, serving members of armed forces, etc.
Many automatic exemptions (and this definitely applies to lawyers) are given because the juror <i>will</i> be objected to, so requiring the person to show up is a waste of time for all involved. Which is pretty clearly the case with Clinton or any other high-profile former elected official or celebrity. The point of jury selection isn't to make the jurors do their civic duty (even if they weren't inclined to), it is to ensure a fair trial.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446737Sat, 01 Mar 2003 17:04:05 -0800aeschenkarnosBy: Sr_Clubahttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446849
in California at least, lawyers can and do serve on juries.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446849Sun, 02 Mar 2003 00:15:42 -0800Sr_ClubaBy: wackybrithttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#446916
(An aside: In the UK you can be excused from jury duty if you're self-employed.)
Other than that though, I think having lawyers on the jury is a good idea. I think most juries are flawed in that they contain people who don't mentally or emotionally have the capacity to make good decisions.
I think passing a logic or an LSAT style test before serving on a jury would be a great idea. You want people who can make sound decisions.. not just automatically think 'guilty' from day one because it's a pedophile/rape case or something.
Keep the dim at the front of the court, not to the side of it.comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-446916Sun, 02 Mar 2003 07:31:46 -0800wackybritBy: dagnyscotthttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#447130
Jury selection is a weird thing.... they're always searching for the dumbest people. One of my professors was saying she got the notice for jury duty and they asked "What do you do?" "I'm a professor at Grand Valley" and it was almost immediately like "k... bye."comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-447130Sun, 02 Mar 2003 16:29:58 -0800dagnyscottBy: Vidiothttp://www.metafilter.com/23963/Jury-Duty-is-something-many-of-us-face#447163
I've heard the same thing about journalists. Any working journalists out there been excused from jury duty because of your occupation?
(I've heard that you should go in and tell the judge that you're PERFECT for jury duty because you can spot a guilty person "just like that.")comment:www.metafilter.com,2003:site.23963-447163Sun, 02 Mar 2003 18:08:47 -0800Vidiot